Augustine, Costs and Defense Industries
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15355/epsj.17.1.30Keywords:
Augustine weapons, cost escalation, aircraft, decreasing cost industries, learning curves, defence industry futureAbstract
Augustine weapons systems are presented as a new class of economic good. Their distinguishing characteristics are identified in the form of advanced technology, inter-generational cost escalation and small quantities. A distinction is made between cost increases between generations of weapons and falling unit costs within a generation of equipment. The impact of Augustine weapons on learning curves is assessed and the article concludes with an evaluation of Augustine systems for the future defense industrial base.
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